Error: I'm afraid this is the first I've heard of a "trackback" flavoured Blosxom. Try dropping the "/+trackback" bit from the end of the URL.
Shoes
I realized last week that the heel of my right shoe was totally worn down and starting to self-destruct. I didn't shop for shoes then because I knew that we would be doing a lot of walking at the convention, and wearing shoes that my feet were used to was a better idea than wearing new shoes.
Today I went shopping for shoes at the Flatirons Crossing Mall and the surrounding big-box stores. My pair of brown shoes died 6 months ago and the black ones I've been wearing are not really fit for customer meetings, and wouldn't be even if I got them professionallly polished. I do have a pair of dressier shoes in the closet, but they have higher heels than I really prefer.
The store that used to be a DSW is now a Famous Footwear and has no inventory to speak of, and what it has is hdeous. That whole block of big-box buildings is almost empty, and Linens 'n Things, the largest remaining store in the block is having a store-closing sale. I saw for sale and for lease signs in some of the neighboring blocks, too.
The Flatirons Village outdoor adjunct to the main mall is empty. There is Borders and one other store and the cinema at the end away from the mall, and a few big resaturants at each end of the Village, but everything else is empty. I think I heard somewhere that they had discovered some structural problems in the buildings, and needed to reconstruct things. If that's true, the lawsuits must be mindboggling.
The shoes in the main mall were as hideous as the Famous Footwear ones.
There were a couple of stores that were empty or being reconstructed, but not many. But I noticed that some of the existing stores had a lot more empty floor space and a lot few display racks than one would expect. That can't be a good sign. Radio Shack was so empty that I asked if they were planning to close, And Eddie Bauer was surprisingly sparse.
But I bought a new purse at the luggage store (Eagle Creek makes purses and beltpacks, now, not just luggage. Yay!) and some zipper pouches to help me organize things in my Eagle Creek briefcase.
I also encountered some neat items that will be useful Christmas gifts. I don't think I've ever done this much of my Christmas shopping this early.
And I picked up the latest manga in some series I've been following at Borders on my way out of the mall.
I found the DSW: they are in a different clump of big-box stores on the other side of the mall now, and managed to find shoes that fit me and did'nt make me want to gag. I got two pairs of Naturalizer shoes -- the same plain style of flat in black and brown, so I have something presentable.
I also picked up a pair of Sketchers so I have something other than the good shoes to wear for working farmers' market and shopping, and around the house and yard. I will probably use them on the treadmill, too. I've been using the same old rubber-soled black loafers I've worn for everything because the official walking shoes are uncomfortable. I seem to have lower ankle bones than the designers expect: the sides of most sports shoes rub against places they shouldn't. The Skechers are cut lower on the sides, with sport-shoe style soles and decorative, not athletic, uppers.
The clerk at DSW asked if I had their preference card. I told her that since I only buy shoes about every three years, it wouldn't do either of us any good to put me on their list.
At least the massage and exercise has reduced the bloating in my left leg and foot so its back to being a reasonable 9 1/2 medium. Buying shoes 6 months ago would have been problematic.
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